Bicycles are normally shipped to consumers and retailers in a relatively compact, unassembled form. This saves space and passes the costs of assembly “down” in the supply chain. But assembling bicycles involves many complicated steps unknown to the unskilled technician, mechanic, end user, or other layperson. Detailed adjustments and fine-tuning are necessary for proper functioning of bicycles, such as alignment of parts, orientation of the front wheel, fork, and stem, and proper bolt torque. This requires a certain familiarity and comfort with bicycles and with using the right tools correctly. As a result, unskilled assemblers may employ excessive and undesirable “guesswork.” Assuming it is usable in the first place, an improperly-assembled bicycle may be uncomfortable to ride, may suffer decreased performance, and may experience undue wear or premature component failure.
The assembly processes thus require tedious attention. For retailers, even a few seconds of extra time required during assembly of each bicycle substantially increases costs and reduces the number of bicycles a retailer is otherwise able to assemble and sell. Difficulty in the process of assembling translates to more potential sources of error, and means employees require more training to be able to assist in assembling bicycles. In the case of end users receiving unassembled bicycles from manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, assembly can take a substantial amount of time, and often leaves the assembler uncertain about whether the bicycle was properly assembled and optimized for performance and safety. When a bicycle is for a child, the child is forced to wait until someone is available, with the necessary tools and work space, to begin assembling a new bicycle, and then wait an undetermined length of time for the assembly process to be completed. Assembly of children's bicycles can be of particular concern, as an improperly-assembled child's bicycle can impede the learning process, take away from the enjoyment of riding a bicycle, and possibly even increase the risks of injury.
What is needed is a system that simplifies the steps involved in assembling bicycles and reduces or altogether eliminates the need for tools. A bicycle that can be more quickly assembled, in a manner that reduces uncertainty by limiting the ability to make errors, can make bicycle assembly and riding more enjoyable, enhance riding performance, extend the life of bicycles, and reduce the risk of certain failures and injuries.